137 Uptown NewsletterApril 2016

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APRIL 2016

Habits of Happy Couples an argument that they can’t resolve, they default to trusting and forgiving rather than distrusting and begrudging. 4. Focus on accentuating the positive. If you look for things that your partner does wrong, you can always find something. If you look for what he/she does 1. Go to bed at the same time. right, you can always find Remember the beginning of your something, too. relationship, when you couldn’t wait to go to bed with each other 5. Hug each other as soon as you to make love? Happy couples see each other after being apart resist the temptation to go to bed for the day. Couples who say at different times even if one hello with a hug reaffirm their partner wakes up later to do love for each other. things while his/her partner 6. Say “I love you” and “Have a sleeps. good day” every morning. This is 2. Cultivate common interests. a great way to buy some patience Don’t minimize the importance of and tolerance as each partner sets activities you can do together out each day to battle traffic that you both enjoy. If you don’t jams, long lines and other have common interests, develop annoyances. them. At the same time, be sure to cultivate interests of your own. 7. Say “good night” every night, This will make you more regardless of how you feel. This interesting to your mate and tells your partner that regardless prevent you from appearing too of how upset you are with him, you still want to be in the dependent. relationship. It says that what you 3. Make trust and forgiveness forgiveness and your partner have is bigger your default mode. When happy than any single upsetting couples have a disagreement or incident. Happy couples know that the real relationship begins when the honeymoon is over. Here are the habits of highly happy couples…

8. Do a “weather” check during the day. Call your partner at home or at work to see how his day is going. This is a great way to adjust expectations so that you’re more in sync later in the day. For instance, if your partner is having an awful day, it might be unreasonable to expect him to be enthusiastic about something good that happened to you. 9. Walk hand in hand. Happy couples are pleased to be seen together and often are in some kind of affectionate contact — hand in hand or hand on shoulder, for example. They are saying that they belong with each other. 10. Stick with it. Even if these actions don’t come naturally, happy couples stick with them until they do become a part of their relationship. It takes 30 days for a change in behavior to become a habit and a minimum of six months for a habit to become a way of life — and love. Source: Mark Goulston, MD, a Los Angeles–based psychologist and consultant. He is coauthor of The 6 Secrets of a Lasting Relationship (Perigee). www.markgoulston.com.

Greetings for April! I was trying to say something cute for this month but “tax day” can put a damper on the m o n t h . Income tax filing and Dr. Jerry Shapiro trepidation of impending payment you might owe to the government does, however, bring to mind a theme that should resonate with many of you…cost savings.

Let’s Talk

This past month a person who works in the building just above us in Citigroup Center, came into our pharmacy and was complaining about his insurance explaining that he was paying $1,062 for a 3month supply of one of his chronic medications. He had a manufacturer’s coupon to save him

money but the mail order company would not accept it. Much to his surprise, even though his insurance plan directed him to mail order, we were able to help him. Using a discount card and his coupon we saved him $400 for that same 3month supply! COULD THIS WORK FOR YOU? The only way to find out is to come in and give us the list of your mail order medications and see how much we can save you.

It is cold and flu season with a lot of cases in our neighborhood this past month. We hope that you are not amongst them but I expect that cases will continue to pop up through April as well as part of May. Keep in mind that everyone is different and each person requires different treatment. At Uptown Drug & Gift Shop we try to customize a therapy that is effective for your particular lifestyle and needs. Some Last month we went to the gift how general suggestions for treating a in Las Vegas and came back with cold or flu include… some very interesting new products. • If you have a cold it is best to treat it immediately since the One was a reusable cloth that longer you wait the more difficult removes make up. Another is a flat hair clip so that when you lie down it is to treat. there is no pain on your head…are • Antibiotics are not really effective against the common you listening gym people?! Another cold. If you have the flu try tip for those fitness activists is to use Oscillococcinum®, which is one Vitamin C, which is an excellent of the few over-the-counter product for repairing injured tissue. (Many surgeons also prescribe it products that can relieve many after surgery.) flu-like symptoms. We wish you a great month!

Allergies Nothing to sneeze at Allergies come in many forms, but "hay fever" (allergic rhinitis) is the most common. As many as 35 million people live with itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; a runny or stuffy nose; and a scratchy throat. Here are a few facts about these allergies you may find helpful: Some people get allergies only at certain times of the year, such as when pollen from grasses, weeds, and trees is in the air, or from molds found outdoors. These are called "seasonal allergies." •

For others, allergy symptoms are a problem all year long, often due to household dust mites, pet dander, cockroach droppings, and indoor molds. Some people with "year-round allergies" find that their symptoms get worse during "allergy season." •

Allergy season can occur at a different time of year for different people depending on what they are allergic to. This is because plants and trees pollinate during different seasons—generally from early spring to late fall. •

Nonallergic rhinitis is another common cause of nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. However, nonallergic rhinitis is not triggered by allergens, and is less likely to cause itchy or watery eyes. This condition responds best to decongestants and saline nasal sprays. •

Sometimes colds and other respiratory infections have symptoms a lot like allergies, making it hard to tell what you have. Learn more about the differences between allergies and a cold. •

Allergies can trigger asthma flare-ups (attacks). If you have asthma, make sure you have an action plan that includes how to manage allergies. •

Allergies tend to run in families. Parents with allergies often have children with allergies. •

You can get allergies at any age, even to something you've never been allergic to before. •

Simple Squash Slicing. It’s Slicing generally hard to cut into a butternut or acorn squash— but it’s easy if you use a serrated knife. Try it yourself from and see. Also, when you slice squash (or any other round, awkwardly shaped food), do it on a nonskid cutting board or plastic mat to reduce the chance that you’ll inadvertently cut yourself.

through gently...which will allow you to create a variety of hairstyles. • Natural Help for Chapped Lips. Lips Puncture a vitamin E gel capsule, squeeze out the oil and mix it with ¼ teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Work this into your lips and let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then wipe it off with a clean, wet washcloth.

Makeshift Diffuser for Your Hair Dryer. When you don’t want your blow-dryer spewing out blasts of air at your hair, but you don’t have a diffuser attachment, put a sock on it. A clean sock put over the end of the dryer for a few minutes will let heat

Hide wood furniture scratches with coffee grinds. Rub a cotton swab in steeped grounds, and dab on scratches to make them less noticeable. Test this first in a hardto-see area to make sure the coffee works with the color of your wood

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Hints

JoAnn

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Red Wine on Your Rug? What to Do... Quickly blot off the red wine with a paper towel, then neutralize it with white wine. Next, wipe the rug clean with a cold, damp cloth. If you don’t have white wine, work some table salt or baking soda into the stain, and dab it off with club soda.

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furniture. Avoid overwatering potted plants by using packing peanuts. Place a one-inch layer of Styrofoam peanuts at the bottom of gardening pots before adding soil. Styrofoam peanuts won’t decompose or absorb the water, and they prevent water buildup, bacteria, fungus and root rot. •

Cut cheese and cakes with dental floss. Softer cheeses and delicate desserts can get squished or fall apart when you use knives. Plain (not minty!) dental floss is gentle enough to cut cheeses such as mozzarella and Brie and soft rectangular loglike cakes without having a special cheese or cake knife. Be sure to use a piece of floss that is long enough to extend an inch and a half to two inches beyond each end you are cutting to make it easier to cut and minimize mess. •

Cheap, Uncertified Electrical Items Can Be Dangerous

Medicine Tip If you’re taking an overoverthethe-counter medication, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist. Eye drops, vitamins, creams and ointments, pills, tablets, capsules, liquids and suppositories are all drugs. They have the potential to interact dangerously dangerously with other medications you are taking.

Cheap, uncertified electrical items can be dangerous—and they are becoming more common as people search for bargains. Improperly made items, such as extension cords and power tools, can cause injuries and fires. SelfSelf-defense: avoid items whose labels do not provide the manufacturer’s contact information...ones without UPC bar codes...ones without any branding or certification marks...and ones with spelling and grammatical errors on packages. Be especially careful when buying products online.

MEDICATION MISTAKES WE ALL MAKE Mistake: Mistake Taking two different products with the same ingredient. Suppose that you normally take acetaminophen several times a day to reduce pain from arthritis. Each dose contains 325 milligrams (mg). Then you get a cold. So you take an overthe-counter cold remedy such as NyQuiL Many cold medications c on t a i n a bo u t 6 50 m g of acetaminophen per dose. You could wind up getting 2,500 mg of acetaminophen from several doses of the cold remedy...in addition to the acetaminophen that you're taking for arthritis. You could exceed the maximum safe dose of 4,000 mg a day without even knowing it.

Sixteen Things It Took Me Too Many Years To Learn 1. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylightsavings time.

almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them. 10. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He WILL NOT use as His messenger a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

2. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

11. You should not confuse your career with your life.

3. The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

13. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

4. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep SelfSelf-protection protection: on Always read labels. down inside we ALL believe that we Don't take any medication without are above-average drivers. knowing what it contains. Many 5. There comes a time when you have more than one active should stop expecting other people ingredient. If a new medication to make a big deal about your contains an ingredient that you're birthday. That time is age 11. already taking, ask your doctor or pharmacist if the combined dose is 6. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." safe. Also, drugs can have similar actions 7. People who want even if the active ingredients are to share their different. Some antidepressants, for religious views with example, lower blood pressure as a you almost never side effect. Your pressure could drop want you to share too low if you're also taking yours with them. medication for hypertension. Again, 8. If you had to never take any combination of drugs identify, in one without consulting your doctor first. word, the reason why the human race has not achieved and never will achieve its full potential, that word would be "meetings." 9. T h e main accomplishment of

12. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

14. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy. 15. Your friends love you anyway. 16. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.